The USDA awarded over $25 million for eight projects associated with the new Assisting Speciality Crop Exports (ASCE) program. The objective is to create new markets for U.S. producers and agribusinesses at home and abroad. U.S. exports of specialty crops came in at $25.8 billion last year.

The partnership between the USDA and the specialty crops sector is focused on projects that address non-tariff trade barriers that disadvantage U.S. exports of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and similar products. ASCE will directly address these barriers and support industry efforts to obtain needed certifications.

Selected projects recipients include:

  • Clemson University and the Foundation for Fresh Produce to establish ASCE Sustainable Packaging Innovation Labs
  • The Minor Use Foundation to work with Codex
  • CABI to make accessing export markets more transparent and focus on regional collaboration in Africa
  • The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture for regional alignment of pesticide regulatory systems and science-based trade facilitative MRLs in Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Ag Aligned Global, LLC to support trade with key export markets
  • Bryant Christie, Inc. to develop MRL quick reference sheets for 60 specialty crops in key export markets

Read more about the ASCE initiative here.